1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel electric current producing cell. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in the electric current producing secondary cells of the type comprising an alkali metal-containing anode, a cathode and an electrolyte (hereinafter referred to as "elyte") which includes an electrolytically effective amount of one or more compounds having the formula: EQU (AX).sub.n A'SCN (1)
wherein A and A' are alkali metals and X is a halogen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been considerable interest in recent years in developing high energy density batteries or voltaic cells. Among the systems being investigated are those employing nonaqueous liquid, fused or solid elytes, lightweight metals, such as alkali metals, as anodes, and cathodes containing metal chalcogenide compounds as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,988,164; 3,925,098; 3,864,167 and 3,791,867.
Various efforts have been made to develop new solid state elytes for secondary cell systems. Alkali metal-aluminum-chlorine and alkali metal-aluminum-bromine compounds have been utilized in liquid and molten state elyte systems, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,984 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,298. Also, solid alkali metal-aluminum-halogen compounds have been described as useful elytes in alkali metal anode, chalcogenide cathode cells, U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,824. However, to date, there has been no suggestion that a solid compound of the above formula might be useful as an elyte in solid state systems of the type described below.